Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1887-12-08
- hats wrong, Quartermainso he shout

hats wrong Quartermains" he shout
eel
Everything. There is plot to muir lei
the Queen tomorrow at dawn. Alphonss
here, who has just escaped from SoraiS
has overheard it all, and | rapidly repeat
ed to him what the Frenchman had told
me.
Curtis face turned deadly pale and his
jaw dropped
.sAt dawn he gasped. ssand it is now
sunset; it dawns before four. and we arg
nearly hundred miles off-nine hours a,
the outside. What is to be done?"
An idea entered into my head. Is that
horse OF yours fresh?" | said.
Yes; have only just got on to him
when my last was killed, and he has beer
fed
$50 is mine Get off him, and let I'm
s1opogaaS mount; he can ride we'll We
will be at N1iloSis before dawn, or if we
are not-well we cannot help it. No, no
it is impossible for You to leave now. You
would be seen, and it would turn the fate
of the battle It is not won yet The sol
diers would think you were making bolt
of it, quick, now"
In a moment he was down, and at my
bidding Umslopogaas sprang into the emp
ty saddle
Now FAREWELL said. .Send a thous
an hour, if possible. Stay, despatch gen
eral to the left wing to take oyer the com
mand and explain my absence"
You will do your best to save her
Quartermain?' he said in II broken voice
''Ay, that [ will. Go on; you are being
left behind"
He cast one glance at us, and accom-
panied by his staff, galloped off to join the
advance, which by this time was fordino
the little brook that now ran red with the
blood of the fallen
{. AS for Umslopogaas and myself, we left
that dreadful field as arrows leave a bow
and in a few minutes had passed right out
Of the sight of slaughter, the smell of blood
and the turmoil and shouting, which only
came to our ears as a faint. far-oH roaring
like the sound of distant breakers.
CHAPTER XXI-AWAYl AWAY!
At the top Of the rise we halted for g
second to breathe our horses: and, turning
glanced at the battle beneath us, which
illumined as it was by the fierce rays OF
the sinking sun staining the whole scene
red, looked from where we were more like
some wild titanic picture, than an actual
ha.nrS1 acknowledgements.
I'VE win the Gay, Macumazahn," said
old UmSlopogaas, taking in the whole sit
uation with a glance of his practiced eye.
Look the Lady of the Nights forces give
on every side, there is no stiffness left in
them, they bend like hot iron, they are
fighting with but half heart But alas
the battle will in manner be drawn, for
the darkness gathers, and the regiments
he shook his head sadly "But," he added,
Il do not think that they will fight again,
we have fed them with too strong a meat.
All! it is well to have lived! At last have
seen fight worth seeing'
BY this time we were on our way again.
4 -
what our mission was, and how that, if it
failed, all the lives that had been lost that
day would have been lost in vain
abr he said, nigh on hundred miles
and no horses but these, and to be there
before the dawn. Well-awayl away man
can but try, Macumazahn; and mayhap
we shall be there in time to split that old
''witch-ffnder's" (Agon's) skull for him.
Once he wanted to burn us, the old ''rain-
maker" did he? And now he would set a
snare for my mother (Nyleptha), would
he? Good! So sure as my name is the
name of the Woodpecker, SO surely, be
my mother alive or dead, will | split him
to the beard. Ay, by TChaka's head |
swear itp' and he shook Inkosikaas as he
galloped. By now the darkness was clos
ing in, but fortunately there would be a
moon later, and the road was good.
On we sped through the twilight, the
two splendid horses we bestrode had got
along with wide steady stride that Meth
er failed nor varied for mile upon mile.
Down the sides of slopes we galloped,
across wide wales that stretched to the foot
of far-off hills. Nearer and nearer grew
the blue hills; now we were travelling up
their sleeps, and now we were over and
passing toward others that sprang UP like
visions in the far faint distance beyond.
We Spake not, but bent US forward on
the necks of those two glorious horses and
listened to their deep, long-drawn breaths
as they filed their great lungs, and to the
regular unfaltering ring OF their round
hoofs Grim and black indeed did old
Umslopogaas look beside me, mounted on
the great white horse, like Death in the
Revelation of ST. John, as now and again
lifting his fierce set face he gazed out along
the road. and pointed with his ak towards
some diStalrt rise or house.
And so on, still on, without break or
pauSe.fQr hQur afteEhQuE.
AT last -pe ran 20 feel that even the
splendid aaiInaI that / role WhS beginning
to give out / iuoAed 1T my watch; it was
nearly illitIfri ynt, and we were conSldera-
bly, more than half way. On the top OF a
rise was little spring, which remember
ed because had slept by it few nights
before and here I na0tioned to Umslopo-
gaas to pull ND, having determined to give
orr horses and ourselves ten minutes &c
breathe in. He did SO. and we dismounted
that is to say, UmslOpogaa5 did, and
then helped me off, for what with fatigue
stiffness and the pain of my wound,
could not do so for myself; and the gallant
horses stood painting there, resting hrsl
one !e = and then another while the sweat
fell d,ip, drip, from them, and the steam
rose an, hung in pale clouds in the still
NJ ut air